An Astrologers Day and Other Stories Part 1

AN ASTROLOGERS DAY.

and Other Stories.

R. K. Narayan.

CONTENTS.

1. An Astrologers Day i.

2. The Missing Mail 8 3. The Doctors Word 17 4. Gatemans Gift 24.

5. The Roman Image 35.

6. The Blind Dog 45 7. Fellow-Feeling 52 8. The Watchman 61 9. The Tigers Claw 67.

10. The Performing Child 75.

1 1 . Iswaran 82.

12. The Evening Gift 92

13. A Snake in the Gra.s.s 100 14. An Accident 104 15. Such Perfection 109 16. A Career 115.

17. Fathers Help 125

1 8. The Snake-Song 134 19. Forty-five a Month 140.

20. Dasi the Bridegroom 148

21 . Old Man of the Temple 156.

22. Out of Business 164 23. Old Bones 171.

24. Attila 178 25. The Axe 185 26. Engine Trouble 193.

27. All Avoidable Talk 203 28. Fruition at Forty 211 29. Grime and Punishment 216.

30. Under the Banyan Tree 222.

AN ASTROLOGERS DAY.

PUNCTUALLY.

at midday he opened his bag and spread out his professional equipment, which consisted of a dozen cowrie sh.e.l.ls, a square piece of cloth with obscure mystic charts on it, a notebook, and a bundle of palmyra writing. His forehead was resplendent with sacred ash and vermilion, and his eyes sparkled with a sharp abnormal gleam which was really an outcome of a continual searching look for customers, but which his simple clients took to be a prophetic light and felt comforted. The power of his eyes was considerably enhanced by their position placed as they were between the painted forehead and the dark whiskers which streamed down his cheeks : even a half-wits eyes would sparkle in such a setting. To crown the effect he wound a saffron-coloured turban around his head. This colour scheme never failed.

People were attracted to him as bees are attracted to cosmos or dahlia stalks. He sat under the boughs of a spreading tamarind tree which flanked a path running through the Town Hall Park. It was a remarkable place in many ways : a surging crowd was always moving up and down this narrow road morning till night* A variety of trades and occupations was represented all along its way : medicine sellers, sellers 2 AN ASTROLOGERS DAY ofstolen hardware and junk, magicians, and, above all, an auctioneer of cheap doth, who created enough din all day to attract the whole town. Next to him in vociferousness came a vendor of fried groundnut, who gave his ware a fancy name each day, calling it Bombay Ice-Cream one day, and on the next Delhi Almond, and on the third

Rajas Delicacy, and so on and so forth, and people flocked to him. A considerable portion of this crowd dallied before the astrologer too. The astrologer transacted his business by the light of a flare which crackled and smoked up above the groundnut heap nearby. Half the enchant*

ment of the place was due to the fact that it did not have the benefit of munic.i.p.al lighting. The place was lit up by shop lights. One or two had hissing gaslights, some had naked flares stuck on poles, some were lit up by old cycle lamps, and one or two, like the astrologers, managed without lights of their own. It was a bewildering criss-cross of light rays and moving shadows.

This suited the astrologer very well, for the simple reason that he had not in the least intended to be an astrologer when he began life ; and he knew no more of what was going to happen to others than he knew what was going to happen to himself next minute. He was as much a stranger to the stars as were his innocent customers. Yet he said things which pleased and astonished everyone : that was more a matter ofstudy, practice, and shrewd guesswork. All the same, it was as much an honest mans labour as any other, and he deserved the wages he carried home at the end ofa day.

He had left his village without any previous thought or plan. If he had continued there he would have carried on the work of his forefathers namely, tilling the land, living, marrying, and ripening in his cornfield AN ASTROLOGERS DAY 3 and ancestral home. But that was not to be. He had to leave home without telling anyone, and he could not rest till he left it behind a couple of hundred miles.

To a villager it is a great deal, as if an ocean flowed between.

He had a working a.n.a.lysis of mankinds troubles : marriage, money, and the tangles of human ties. Long practice had sharpened his perception. Within five minutes he understood what was wrong. He charged three pies per question, never opened his mouth till the other had spoken for at least ten minutes, which provided him enough stuff for a dozen answers and advices. When he told the person before him, gazing at his palm, In many ways you are not getting the fullest results for your efforts, nine out of ten were disposed to agree with him. Or he questioned : Is there any woman in your family, maybe even a distant relative, who is not well disposed towards you ?

Or he gave an a.n.a.lysis of character : Most of your troubles are due to your nature. How can you be otherwise with Saturn where he is ? You have an impetuous nature and a rough exterior. This endeared him to their hearts immediately, for; even the mildest of us loves to think that he has a forbidding exterior.

The nuts vendor blew out his flare and rose to go home. This was a signal for the astrologer to bundle up too, since it left him in darkness except for a little shaft of green light which strayed in from somewhere and touched the ground before him. He picked up his cowrie sh.e.l.ls and paraphernalia and was putting them back into his bag when the green shaft of light was blotted out ; he looked up and saw a man standing before him. He sensed a possible client and said : 4 AN ASTROLOGERS DAY You look so careworn. It will do you good to sit down for a while and chat with me. The other grumbled some reply vaguely. The astrologer pressed his invitation ; whereupon the other thrust his palm under his nose, saying : You call yourself an astrologer ?

The astrologer felt challenged and said, tilting the others palm towards the green shaft of light : Yours is a nature

Oh, stop that, the other said.

Tell me something worth while .

Our friend felt piqued.

I charge only three pies per question, and what you get ought to be good enough for your money . At this the other withdrew his arm, took out an anna, and flung it out to him, saying : I have some questions to ask. If I prove you are bluffing, you must return that anna to me with interest.

If you find my answers satisfactory, will you give me five rupees ?

No.

Or will you give me eight annas ?

All right, provided you give me twice as much if you are wrong, said the stranger. This pact was accepted after a little further argument. The astrologer sent up a prayer to heaven as the other lit a cheroot.

The astrologer caught a glimpse of his face by the matchlight. There was a pause as cars hooted on the ro&djutka drivers swore at their horses, and the babble of the crowd agitated the semi-darkness of the park.

The other sat down, sucking his cheroot, puffing out, sat there ruthlessly. The astrologer felt very uncomfortable.

Here, take your anna back. I am not used to such challenges. It is late for me today .

He made preparations to bundle up. The other held his wrist and said : You cant get out ofit now. You AN ASTROLOGERS DAY 5 dragged me in while I was pa.s.sing. The astrologer shivered in his grip ; and his voice shook and became faint.

Leave me today. I will speak to you tomorrow.

The other thrust his palm in his face and said :

Challenge is challenge. Go on. The astrologer proceeded with his throat drying up : There is a woman

Stop, said the other.

I dont want all that.

Shall I succeed in my present search or not ? Answer this and go. Otherwise I will not let you go till you disgorge all your coins. The astrologer muttered a few incantations and replied :

All right. I will speak. But will you give me a rupee if what I say is convincing ? Otherwise I will not open my mouth, and you may do what you like. After a good deal of haggling the other agreed. The astrologer said : You were left for dead. Am I right ?

Ah, tell me more.

A knife has pa.s.sed through you once ?

said the astrologer.

Good fellow !

He bared his chest to show the scar. What else?

And then you were pushed into a well nearby in the field. You were left for dead.

I should have been dead if some pa.s.ser-by had not chanced to peep into the well, exclaimed the other, overwhelmed by enthusiasm.

When shall I get at him ?

he asked, clenching his fist.

In the next world, answered the astrologer.

He died four months ago in a far-off town. You will never see any more of him. The other groaned on hearing it. The astrologer proceeded : Guru Nayak

You know my name !

the other said, taken aback.